Friday, 19 December 2008

You will notice some changes to the website over the Xmas period as the photos are added on etc, but one of the main changes/announcements, is that thanks to Tim's work behind the scenes, on the 15th of January we will be opening up our second School at The Royal Signal TA Centre in Eastbourne.

This class will run every Thursday and will be from 19:00 to 21:00

Existing Students are welcome to train at both location (see revised pricing) or of course just continue with your current class on a Wednesday which will continue and remain our main base.

The additional class is to keep up with demand in our current area and also allow expansion into Eastbourne where I hope we will have some good numbers from the TA centre (and of course you already know 2 of them with Steph and Tim).

Please do come down and support the new venue, your first attendance there will be free and thereafter if you wish to train at both centres (or indeed any of our other sites world wide) then their is a multi site payment option.

Otherwise first class after the break is the 7th of January at Five Ashes when I should have an update for the Bus training, and I look forward to seeing you all then.

Have a great (and safe) Xmas and New Year, keep alert and see you in 2009!

Thursday, 18 December 2008

I will do a longer blog later, but havn't got the time now, but thought I had to say well done to everyone last night.

Chris, Sonja, Steve & Charlie you did fantastically well throughout the test and should be proud of your achievements.

Special thanks to everyone who helped, fantastic team work displayed and I am sure your joining in the beasting for the testees really helped them through it, thanks also to the Confidence King for his pre fight "mind setting" and for taking the photos.

I have an awful lot of really good photos to go through and will arrange to put them on a slide show on the main site over the next few days.

If you would like any of these to go with your certificate let me know and I will burn a CD- but had to just put up crazy eyes Charlie on the blog doing her best Tomb raider pose!

Thursday, 4 December 2008

Hope you enjoyed the slight change to the format yesterday moving into a bit more fighting as a warm up etc. We will continue to build on this over the weeks to come.

No Class next week (10th) next one the 17th when we will be testing those brave souls on the Top 10.

We will do a hours class first where we will revise any technique in the Top 10 requested by the testees and then will do an hours testing followed by Pub.

For the testees, we are very fortunate in that Simon - "The Confidence King" , has offered to help get you ready for your "ordeal", by doing some pre test mental strengthening while you are in your "bunker" waiting to come out. - see his site at http://www.simonjordan.com/

If any one has any questions feel free to comment on the blog or email me.

Monday, 17 November 2008

As I mentioned in class, we have the opportunity to do a one day course with the police on a London Transport Bus(es).

As you know a lot kicks off on the top floor of buses and our police contacts in south east London have agreed that we can do some more training with and for them at Plumstead bus station.

This will be an excellent opportunity to test techniques in a restricted space (and learn new ones/improvise on the ones you know) and see how to get up effectively from a compromised sitting position.

I was hoping to do this before the year end, but with the current testing of the next round of instructors this is not going to be possible, so we will look to run the course during January, probably on a Sunday.

Appreciate you don't know the dates yet, but to make this worthwhile we need to have some good numbers, so can you all give me an idea if you would like to attend please- travel time is about 1 hour from our club and I am happy to take a few people in my "bus"- price will be around £20/£25 per person for members- and if we do open it up to non members then this will be £45 to include your membership as you must be a member of SUKM and therefore also be insured to attend.

Wednesday, 12 November 2008

Well done tonight all, great class and I was very impressed with the Milling- Steph and Charlie I would pay to see that fight (no not in that way!!!) really good aggression from everyone, and you all turned it off at the end of the round as well, which is just as important.

Grappling as you saw can be quite technical, but good effort, with Richard showing some great grappling potential.

Punches are really starting to come together now with the Jab, cross, hook, elbow and now hammer fist in your arsenal- so we will start putting these together in combinations.

I would like to look at starting some sparring soon so will need to have a chat with you about buying some kit as you will really need some gloves and will cover this next week.

Now we are starting to revise some of the top 10 I am really seeing the difference as I am sure you are with your technique and getting it to work smoothly.

Someone please remind me to take some photos next week as I forgot again and any members that i did not give out the top 10 to, remind me next week or I can email to you if you prefer.

Shame Steve and Sonja missed a class for the first time but we will get them up to speed next week.

Thursday, 6 November 2008

For those who have been there right from the start (well done all) we have now completed the top 10 attacks and will carry on with revising these over the next few weeks.

Because I am too kind to you (!), I will write up some words on each as an aide memoir and let you have next week but all other techniques we go through you need to make your own notes if you are not already, as this will help it sink in- so please do bing a pad and pencil to class.

We will do a night of testing the top 10 for those that would like to and will do this beginning of December, no reason why everyone there tonight can not do this- it will be a lesson of pressure testing!!

Excellent pressure testing last night with the techniques executed extremely well or, even where you forgot them you kept going, and that is the key to surviving.

You are all starting to move like fighters, just need to remember not to get sloppy on the techniques when training and make sure you do finish it all the way and not stop because you don't want to dump your opponent on the floor. And start slow, no need to rush in at full speed at the start.

Forgot to take some pictures which I will do next week and I will try to get you out on time!!

Need to sort out a Xmas drinky poos if you are up for it and either do another night or perhaps easier as you all are travelling in from different places to go over to the pub opposite after training the week before Xmas. Let me know your preference.

Thursday, 30 October 2008

I think trying to do all those bear hug defences was one hug too far, though you did all handle the situations very well and Charlie and Sonja in particular did some great take downs in the pressure test.

Next week may revert to teaching just one technique of each and see how you feel about that, for instance may do gun defences but just to the front, and not the rear, side, on knees etc as well, but spread that out over the coming weeks.

Let me know if you think that will work better for you that way or if you would prefer to learn all in one go.

From those who have been with me from the start we have one more Top 10 attack to cover and you have done the lot, so we shall start doing more revision each week on these as well (this will also ensure all the newbies get these covered as soon as possible), and then if you are up for it we will have one class where we test the lot in one go!!!

Wednesday, 22 October 2008

A great class thank you, everyone worked extremely hard and the beginners did a Sterling effort in the pressure test at the end (and indeed throughout all the class).

Might have to look at doing some other days at this rate, maybe a Saturday morning!

For the newbies, will try and spend some more time next week going over the principles of UKM in a bit more depth and the role of FAT (Fitness Aggression and Technique) in what we do and why we train like we do.

Hope you don't all ache too much tomorrow and hey you've got a week to get over it!

Forgot to mention in the class, but hopefully before Xmas we will have the use of some Buses up in London and we can do a class in one of those one weekend in a very realistic setting.

Wednesday, 8 October 2008

You will have seen on our websitesome pictures of the training we did with the Military Police (some more here) building on the self defence techniques that they are already taught and use against belligerent squaddies.

Well I am delighted to let you know that 2 have applied for our next instructors course and with their background knowledge and practical application, have been accepted for the November intake at the The London Fight Factory.

I look forward to meeting up with the guys and having a roll round the mats with them!

Some kind comments from the training day with the MP's

......"as a female in the armed forces, and particularly the RMP, I deal quite regularly with male soldiers. Sometimes, during the course of duty individuals can become quite aggressive. We are taught CQC with Aikido style grips, holds and take downs, and how to take control physically of various situations but being familiarised with Urban Krav Maga was extremely insightful. The moves are extremely easy and seem natural and it was a really good work out too..." Female SNCO Royal Military Police

..." I have a fair amount of martial arts experience and have boxed for many years. I was surprised firstly how simple the moves are with Urban Krav Maga and that they have great effect once executed. Secondly, the instructor was extremely professional and helpful which inspires you to work hard and take everything on board. It certainly is a system that could be utilised to great effect during close protection work and when dealing with aggressive "pumped up" individuals, particularly in hostile environments / theatres ..." Male SNCO British Army

Don't forget change of venue for tonight is my gym "The O-Zone" !! with a presentation followed by some "light" training.

Thursday, 2 October 2008

First of all thank you to everyone for making it a great training night (again), there was a lot to take in, but the effort you all put in right from the start with the warm up through to pressure test in the dark(!) and beyond was fantastic, thank you all for taking on board so much, and you will be amazed and the improvements you have made already which you will really see when we start to revisit what we have done.

Thought I would just remind you what we have covered so far and which techniques are from the top 10 attacks, just to help your revision- hopefully I have not missed any!

Week 2Knife Threats to the front- side of neck and underneath Chin with variations on take downs/disarm.

Common Attack No10.Side Headlock-preemptive, punches coming in and choke.

Week 3Common Attacks No3.Sideways on single hand lapel grab- 3 versions.Defense against knees when in headlock.

Common Attack No9.A slash with knife, most commonly a 3 to 4" lock blade knife or kitchen utility knife.

Common Attack No10Swinging Punch to the Head

So well done everyone that is a lot of new techniques to take in each time (effectively 6 new ones last night!!), as we build on these we will keep coming back and refreshing.

...........and on completion of the top 10 attacks, before we move onto the rest of the level 1 syllabus we will use one training night to pressure test the top 10 in one go and hopefully award all of you your certificates.

Look forward to seeing you all on Wednesday at my house, if you have not yet confirmed attendance, please do so and thank you to all those who have already.

Tuesday, 30 September 2008

It seems that if we are not reading about the global financial meltdown then it is about the senseless slaughter of someone on our streets.

Today the news managed to combine both with the report of the Banker murdered when he tried to step in to help.

These headlines are headlines because they are exceptional and for every one reported there are many occasions where someone steps in and diffuses the situation with no harm to themselves or others

It is amazing that despite a lot of headlines like this, brave people of conscience do still try and stand up for others and do what they can- from the early stage reporting I have seen, his literally fatal mistake was to hang around after.

If you are going to become involved then you must always leave the scene/area as soon as you can, before their reinforcements arrive or they decide to give it another go- never stand around "accepting the applause of others"- they wont step in to help you.

A lot of problems also occur when you have gone to ground either with your head making contact with the hard unforgiving concrete first or with the punishment you then get, over the coming weeks we will cover this in more detail, even it it only saves you from injury when you slip on an icy pavement, its worthwhile learning.

Thursday, 25 September 2008

Just a quickie to thank everyone for the effort they put in last night, I was extremely impressed but the "dont give up" attitude you all displayed, particularly in the final pressure testings, having done quite a lot of physical work prior and for most of you coming from no fighting background.

Thank you for making it so easy to instruct such a great group, you are all picking things up very quickly.

I hope you are not all aching too much, especially as we ran out of time for a good warm down and stretch and that all those "newbies" will be sufficiently inspired to come back next week.

When I can get my USB link to work I will post some of the pictures on the blog and once we have enough good ones will, with your permission, add them to the main website.

If any one has any question from last night please do not hesitate to call or email me and I would recommend that you do all bring a notebook and pencil along to class as there is a large amount of techniques we will cover and it is useful to have something to read and do homework with!

If you would like to be automatically advised when I have put some more ramblings on here, let me know and I will add you to the subscribers list.

Looking forward to another class tonight after a long day with the Navy yesterday- will post something on this later if I can get my camera to work and upload the pictures.

We have quite a few new people coming tonight if everyone turns up, so if those who attended last week will indulge me I will spend sometime going over an introduction again so we all know where we are and where we are going.

Wednesday, 17 September 2008

Just a quick Blog to thank all of you who made it tonight (particularly those who travelled a long way) for a great class.

I was really impressed by the effort you put in, particularly when the going got tough on the pressure test at the end, you all showed a great fighting spirit and remembered the techniques well.

I hope those who could not make this week do manage to get down for next week.

A reminder for when you are writing up any notes that we covered a few of the preemptive attacks (strike to the groin head take down, push pull take down and Bi*"h Slap) , the fence and slashing bottle defense.

We will do a couple more of these preemptive next week and probably look at some knife threats/attacks.

Tuesday, 16 September 2008

Well its only 24 hours or so and we will be launched in East Sussex.Please make sure you know where we are as there is a lot to get through on our first night so will be aiming to start bang on time.

I had a great 2 hour session with the founder and Chief Instructor, Stewart McGill, earlier on today revising a lot of groundwork submissions and escapes so have got some good ideas for drills over the coming weeks to cover those times when you have not been able to stay on your feet.

Look forward to seeing you all Wednesday and if there is anyone intending to come along who has not yet confirmed with me, please do so as soon as possible so I can plan the lesson taking into account numbers etc.

Tuesday, 9 September 2008

For everyone attending our new class next Wednesday, just a reminder to bring along something to drink, perhaps a change of t-shirt for your way home and a towel to mop your weary brows.

I would recommend you bring a notepad and pencil to make notes as well as we will be covering a lot of ground in the initial weeks (and ongoing!) and though we will be coming back to techniques, writing them down really does help.

Other than that come in whatever you are comfy in and happy to get pulled,dirty, wet(!) etc.

Please leave all personal jewelry at home, you will not be able to train wearing rings,necklaces,watches bracelets and interesting piercings and we have no lockers to store these in on site so best to leave at home.

Any questions please do email or phone me and I look forward to seeing you all next Wednesday

On the 23rd of September, I will be trekking down to Portsmouth to spend a day on an operational ship with the Royal Navy (HMS Ranger), where we will be involved in various exercise scenarios on the Solent, before rendezvousing with other operational units during the day.

Above are a couple of pictures from last year.

If the weather holds out we should be able to fit in a boarding exercise with the Royal Marines coming in by Sea King and taking us hostage- assuming I escape I will let you know what happens in due course!

Saturday, 6 September 2008

As promised a I have detailed below a basic circuit work out for getting fit to fight.The beauty of these circuits is that the seven exercises chosen, work as many different muscle groups as possible and require a high tempo thereby ensuring the maximum calorie burn in the shortest time and with no Kit.

Do the exercises back to back taking 60 seconds per exercise and try not to rest in between.One whole circuit takes 7 minutes, Aim to do as many circuits as time and fitness allow.

Do each move quickly and powerfully but without compromising good form.

1. Bastards

Get into a press up position with your hands shoulder width apart- do one press up.

Jump both feet forwards beneath you (like you are doing a squat thrust).

Jump up into the air bringing your knees to your chest

Land and back into the press up position- that's one rep

2. Turkish Get Up (right arm raised)

Lie on your back with you right arm pointing straight up

Keeping you arm in position roll onto your side

Move into a standing position with your arm still pointing up

Reverse the movement back to the floor and repeat

3. Jackknife

Lie on the floor with your arms behind your head and keeping your feet and hands off the floor

Squat keeping your back straight and your feet in line with your knees

Stand up and raise your arms high over your head and rise up on your toes

Return to the start and repeat.

And the usual disclaimer: Always check with your GP before undertaking a vigorous exercise regime. Listen to your body.If you feel unwell or in pain at any time, stop.Mark O'Neil, Sussex Urban Krav Maga,Urban Krav Maga and associated clubs can not be held responsible for any injury sustained in attempting these exercises which you do so solely at your own risk.

Wednesday, 3 September 2008

We are now rolling out the next stage of our instructor training programme- the picture opposite comes from the last one held at the world famous Gleesons Boxing Gym.

Because UKM is a highly developed and complete fighting system we do not accept just anyone onto the course and most candidates have to be introduced to the programme by an existing instructor first, but for anyone interested, I have posted some basic information below.

If you would like to be considered for this please do give me a call/email etc

Basic Criteria for Entry

Basically 4 years experience in a recognised martial art/fighting discipline, though this criterion will be relaxed if a candidate is known to and recommended by a Certified Urban Krav Maga Instructor. Prior to acceptance on the course, candidates who are not known to a Certified Urban Krav Maga Instructor will be required to attend a training session at an appropriate venue to confirm their suitability for the course.

Some Feedback on the Course

After training in several martial arts over many years, including Wing Chun and several other styles of Krav Maga, I’ve found what I’m looking for in Urban Krav Maga; a fully developed fighting system using proven techniques. I wish I’d found you years ago.I would recommend anyone interested in the reality of going to the ground in the street look at the groundwork section of UKM.Mark O’Neil – Urban Krav Maga Instructor (that will be me then!!!!)

As a novice to ground work I was not looking forward to this weekend,but thanks to Gershon & Andy’s training methods,knowledge & personalities the weekend was incredible & despite the bruised chest,ribs,neck,shoulders & ears I came away buzzing. I would also like to thank every one else on the instructors course, a great bunch of very talented guys, for all their support & help.Thanks every one. Would not change a thing.Jonathan Saunders – Urban Krav Maga and Tae Kwan Do Instructor

These weekends seemed like a doubled edged sword. While continuously leaving the gym battered, bruised and physically and mentally shattered I thrived on the fact that I was drilling this system inside out.I thought that although there was a hell of a lot to cover (due to the breadth of the system), everyone taking part did a fantastic job taking it all in and did excellently on the final weekend. Personally, after Gershon and Andy’s weekend I feel a lot more able when it comes to ‘rolling’.Geoff Roberts – Urban Krav Maga Instructor

Structure of the Course

These courses are open to people that wish to become instructors and to those that wish to do some intensive training over a weekend or weekends. Candidate Instructors must attend all 4 parts of the course; others can attend any weekend that they wish though it should be noted that the Final weekend will be dedicated to revision and testing for the Candidate Instructors and will be open only to those candidates.

Basically there are 4 Intensive Weekends (over 60 hours of training). Throughout the course Candidate Instructors will be regularly asked to teach techniques to the rest of the group. This is to help internalise techniques as well as afford an opportunity to develop teaching skills.

UKM continues its march to global dominance (well nearly) as we have recently been engaged by Goldman Sachs and UBS to provide training to their staff.

It is good to see these large organisations taking an active concern in the protection of their staff and I can see a time in this increasing litigious world where a company could be taken to task (and therefore court) if it has not made such a service available to its staff whilst expecting them to work late or in areas where they could be exposed to danger.

There is a good link to our thoughts on personal safety and what you can do to help yourself on my main site site so in the absence of your company kindly paying for our services, it is worth taking the time to look at this, as even without the ability to always physically defend your self the tips contained in there could just make the difference.

If any one does want to know what we can cover in these corporate courses and prices etc please do get in touch and I will happily discuss matters.

Tuesday, 2 September 2008

Well we are nearly there with the opening of our first UKM school in Sussex.

From the 17th of September we will be based at 5 Ashes Village Hall, Five Ashes East Sussex, every Wednesday 19:00 to 21:00.

There has been a great deal of interest so far with a number of people already registered with a mix of "fighting" backgrounds from those with no martial arts experience to those with a good grounding in other styles- All are welcome!

We have also been talking to local reporters and hope to have some local press coverage over the coming weeks.

For the first lesson we will be looking at the background to UKM and starting on learning some of the defences against the top 10 attacks as well as some good anaerobic work to simulate the stress that the body goes through in a fight situation- I will post some suggested exercises in future posts.

All those attending, please bring along a towel and something to drink (not beer or fizzy pop!)

That's it for now except to say that I look forward to welcoming you all to the class!!

About Me

Run by Ben Humphrey, Sussex Urban Krav Maga was originally founded in 2008 by Mark O'Neil a Senior Instructor in Urban Krav Maga who remains involved as technical advisor.
Instructors are registered with the British Combat Association and included on the register of self protection instructors.
Regular updates may be found on our Facebook page and closed group for members
With over 60 years combined experience in Martial Arts, the instructing team look forward to helping you keep yourself and your family safe on the streets.
And although we have now crossed over the border into Kent we remain:
www.sussexurbankravmaga.com.
Established 2008.
Specialists in:
-Self Protection
-Strategic Threat Awareness
-Combat Fitness & MMA Conditioning
-Krav MMA
-Urban Confidence
-Self Protection for Women
-Public, Private & Corporate Classes Available.